This year, I studied the effect of the American media on public opinion and foreign policy. The media, at its core, is a money-making industry. With the advent of 24/7 mass media broadcasting, much of news reporting has become opinion, rather than fact-based in order to simply fill time. Lacking an objective perspective on major issues, the American public is left uninformed and very polarized, which translates to large amounts of polarization in government itself. Additionally, because media syndicates are competing for viewers and/or readers, the objective is often on publishing a story first, rather than having the information be factually correct. The emphasis on speed rather than accuracy coupled with the amount of technology we have, quite literally, at our fingertips leads to the spread of misconceptions at an alarming rate. An interesting question that was posed during my presentation was, “Is the press really free, or is it just free from heavy government regulation and censorship?” I loved this question, because it really made me stop and think. Is the press, because of the heavy influence of major corporations who have a huge say in what makes it to the headlines, really free? I hope to continue to pursue this question, and many others I discovered during my research, in future Fellows projects.

The Symposium was a success. I really enjoyed the experience, and everyone I spoke to seemed engaged and genuinely interested in the topic, which is very encouraging.

My first symposium was a success! I had no idea it would be such a fun, interesting event. As the evening went on, I learned a lot from each person that visited my table, and I also learned that I didn’t need to be nervous. This experience will definitely stay with me for a while, and I can’t wait for next year’s symposium!

In the 1-2 hours before Symposium started, I was so nervous that I frantically re-read my notes and even printed them out in case I forgot what to say next. My Symposium topic this year focused on child labor and how to break the poverty cycle so we can end child labor.   Once I started talking to my first person, I realized that I knew way more about my topic than I thought I did, and it became a conversation. The hour flew by so quickly and I ended up having a lot of fun. I even met a gentleman whose mother worked on a cotton farm as a child!  What a fantastic experience!

Symposium was awesome. I knew way more than I thought I did!! the people there were really knowledgeable and I learned a lot. Hope the next few go just as well.